WB - Lemme ghost ride that Pug into the shrubbery for ya... once that happens you won't be worried about scratches.

I was riding with some guys one morning and a fellow shows up on a totally gorgeous FS bike that has been totally blinged out and after listenng to him go on and on about how much he spent and how he thought he should probably not ride it (cause it might get scratched up) I asked if I could check it out.

I immediately proceeded to fire the bike into the bush and down a small embankment and said that he was now okay to ride his bike.

Strangely enough...he seemed very appreciative of my gesture and did not try to kill me.

We actually couldn't ride for quite a few minutes as everyone was laughing too hard.

WB - Lemme ghost ride that Pug into the shrubbery for ya... once that happens you won't be worried about scratches.

I was riding with some guys one morning and a fellow shows up on a totally gorgeous FS bike that has been totally blinged out and after listenng to him go on and on about how much he spent and how he thought he should probably not ride it (cause it might get scratched up) I asked if I could check it out.

I immediately proceeded to fire the bike into the bush and down a small embankment and said that he was now okay to ride his bike.

Strangely enough...he seemed very appreciative of my gesture and did not try to kill me.

We actually couldn't ride for quite a few minutes as everyone was laughing too hard.

After 10 to 15 minutes of "my bike is too pretty to ride" you would have done the same thing.

So WB... lemme see your Pug.

When I get my Kona built I may have to have someone ghost ride it into the bush for me cause it will be also be too pretty to ride and if I am thinking that I will get myself killed on the singletrack.

After 10 to 15 minutes of "my bike is too pretty to ride" you would have done the same thing.

So WB... lemme see your Pug.

I'd gladly let you take it out and thrash it soundly, but therein is my point: I don't have a problem with scratches from riding. It's scratches from ignorance that don't belong there that I take issue with, like getting redneck marks on your truck from hillbillys leaning up against it with their rodeo belt buckles, or the scratches we get on our rental bikes from the idiots the outfitter hires that pile bikes up on top of one another. If the customer has a crash and scratches a bike I always ask if they're OK and tell them I'm sorry that they had a mishap, but damaging perfectly good equipment due to neglect is not acceptable. I have given more than one of the outfitter's drivers a piece of my mind.

I built the pug tough to lend out, but if you're not tough enough to ride it...GTFA.

Race Face made a 100mm BB Diabolus crank for a while that was a nice higher-end choice for a Pugsley. Apparently all the Pugsley and DH folks snapped them up and they're just not available. I'm happy enough with mine though.

If you don't mind telling, how much would a similar pugsley build cost? This winter is looking a bit rough, so I may want a snow bike to keep me sane.

I would estimate in the $2500 range. It is possible to economize and build one up for just under $2K. I went a bit higher end with the few parts that aren't Pugsley-specific ( i.e.: frame, fork, bottom bracket/crankset, wheels and tires). It's also entirely possible to build a higher end model, though the base weight doesn't allow any lightweight wonders.